Women sentenced over brothel chain (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Women sentenced over brothel chain

1:34am Thursday 31st January 2008 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

Five women have been sentenced for their involvement in a chain of brothels in Wales and Wiltshire.

Rooms at three premises in Cardiff and one in Swindon were rented out by prostitutes and their clients, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting, Robin Spencer QC said the brothels were in operation between May 2004 and October 2006 and typically took a combined total of £11,000 cash per week.

Diana Jones, 45, of Pwll Du, Llangain, Carmarthen, west Wales, who managed all four brothels, admitted managing a brothel used for prostitution and concealing criminal property.

Paul Lewis QC, defending Jones, said a BBC documentary team interviewed workers at the Twice as Nice Parlour on Woodville Road, Cardiff, that Jones managed.

It was only then that Jones realised two of them were illegal immigrants, but he said she had not helped traffick them to the UK or coerced them into prostitution. Mr Lewis also said Jones was the main carer for her seven-year-old granddaughter.

Jones was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years. She was also given a community order of 18 months supervision and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Laura Lloyd, 26, of Lanelay Park, Pontyclun, south Wales, Allison Blight, 40, of Lower Llansantffraid, Sarn, Bridgend, south Wales and Alison Sutherland, 48, of Hermon Road, Maesteg, south Wales, all helped to run the brothels, the court heard.

They pleaded guilty to assisting in managing a brothel used for prostitution and were each sentenced to four months imprisonment suspended for two years with a community order of supervision for 18 months.

Blight's mother, Anne Phillips, 62, of The Retreat, Bridgend, south Wales, admitted paying bills for the brothels at her local post office with cash given to her by her daughter. She pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property.